SariBy: Jill Eileen Smith

Seeds of faith book club rating: 3.25 to 4

Sarai, the last child of her aged father, is beautiful, spoiled, and used to getting her own way. Even as a young girl, she is aware of the way men look at her, including her half brother Abram. When Abram finally requests Sarai’s hand, she asks one thing–that he promise never to take another wife as long as she lives. Even her father thinks the demand is restrictive and agrees to the union only if Sarai makes a promise in return–to give Abram a son and heir.

Book Description.

Sarai, the last child of her aged father, is beautiful, spoiled, and used to getting her own way. Even as a young girl, she is aware of the way men look at her, including her half brother Abram. When Abram finally requests Sarai’s hand, she asks one thing–that he promise never to take another wife as long as she lives. Even her father thinks the demand is restrictive and agrees to the union only if Sarai makes a promise in return–to give Abram a son and heir. Certain she can easily do that, Sarai agrees.

But as the years stretch on and Sarai’s womb remains empty, she becomes desperate to fulfill her end of the bargain–lest Abram decide that he will not fulfill his. To what lengths will Sarai go in her quest to bear a son? And how long will Abram’s patience last?

We give it a rating of 3.25 to 4

Questions included in book

Review.

“SKILLFULLY CAPTURES. . . THE ESSENCE OF LIVING IN OLD TESTAMENT TIMES.”

“The Scriptural account of Abraham and Sarah is not only a testament of God’s faithfulness to His promises, it’s a story of love. Smith skillfully captures both and the essence of living in Old Testament times by combining biblical facts with research-based interpretation and her own imagination to create a detailed drama that will leave readers eagerly awaiting the second book in the series.” — CBA Retailers and Resources

“Readers who enjoyed Anita Diamant’s best-selling The Red Tent (1997) will also enjoy this story of women and their struggle with leaving their old gods for the God of Abraham.” — Shelley Mosley, a starred review from Booklist